This invention relates generally to swinging of ball strikers, as for example baseball bats, tennis rackets, and racket ball rackets and more particularly concerns removably adding weight to a ball striker, for practice swinging purposes.
When baseball players warm-up, or train, they commonly use two bats, and swing them in unison a few times to loosen muscles. Also used are a heavy bat or weighted rings. Holding and swinging two bats is awkward, uncomfortable, and does not achieve the right feel, needed as by gripping and swinging only one bat but one bat does not achieve additional weight as can be provided by two bats. Use of a heavy bat, and/or weighted rings is also disadvantageous. There is need to overcome this dilemma, in a simple, effective and efficient manner, as is now provided by the present invention. In a similar manner, there is need to provide additional weight to other ball strikers, such as tennis rackets, for example. Other strikers include racket ball rackets, cricket paddles, hockey sticks and table tennis paddles.
It is a major object of the invention to provide a simple and effective weighting device meeting the above need. Basically, the device comprises:
a) an elongated receptacle having an opening via which the striker ball striking portion is received into the receptacle, with the handle projecting from the receptacle,
b) a retainer carried on the receptacle to be fastened in a position for retaining the receptacle in generally enclosing relation to the striker ball striking portion,
c) and weighting structure carried by the receptacle to add substantial weight to the striker, for use as in striker practice swinging,
d) the retainer including a flap that folds over and releasably attaches to a surface carried by the receptacle, to effect retention of the weighted receptacle to the striker during the practice swinging.
As will be seen, the retainer flap or strap preferably is carried to extend at least part way along or about the receptacle, when closed on the ball striker, and hook and pile fastening material such as VELCRO may be provided to adhere the flap or strap in fastening position. Such closure preferably at least partly covers the opening in the receptacle that passes the ball striking portion of the striker, to prevent release or separation of the weighted receptacle during swinging.
Another object includes provision of a receptacle having multiple wall portions, and the weighting structure is preferably located at or proximate at least one of such wall portions.
In addition, the weighting structure typically includes metallic material, solid or flowable; it is typically concealed by the receptacle, and it may include separate localized metallic zones or portions. It may be sewn or otherwise held in a pocket or pockets provided by the receptacle, and at the end or at a side or sides of a ball striking portion of the striker retained in the receptacle.
Yet another object includes location of the weighting material in a pocket provided by the receptacle, and in this regard the pocket or pockets may enable selective use of the material in one or more pockets, for adjustable weighting, as to positioning, or as to selected weighting; or both. The pocket or pockets may be sized to fit different strikers or all sizes of strikers.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: